Céline Dion Sparks Rumors She's Dating Backup Dancer Pepe Muñoz
She set the record straight.
instagram Céline Dion is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 200 million records around the world. Of course, we all know her hit “My Heart Will Go On” for 1999’s Titanic, but she’s also had great songs like “The Power of Love,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” and one of her most recent songs, “Ashes,” from Deadpool 2.
But Dion is also known for speaking lovingly about her late husband, René Angélil.
The couple had three children together before Angélil passed away in January 2016 of a heart attack, and complications of throat cancer that had progressed and given him a terminal diagnosis. He wasn’t just her husband, but her manager as well. A few months later, she began performing again, showing just how strong she was in the wake of such tragedy.
Over three years later, it appears Dion has bounced back and may have found love again, this time with her back-up dancer, Pepe Muñoz. Is Céline Dion dating Pepe Muñoz?
According to a source for Page Six, “Pepe is like her boy toy who is really trying to take over. He’s isolating her and people are feeling it. She’s in love with this guy and listens to everything he’s saying. People go to him when they have questions. He’s fully taken over. The only people around her now [are] Pepe, the hairdresser and the stylist.”
Muñoz is Dion’s dancer, but he’s also her creative director. Rumor has it that he was behind the firing of Dion’s senior team; however, another source close to the situation says that isn’t true.
This insider commented on Muñoz, saying, “He’s an amazing inspiration for her. He’s inspiring her to take risks. It’s not a bad thing. He’s not managing her. People change their teams. She’s smart and at the helm of her career. She’s calling the shots now.”
Another source added, “It’s crazy. She knows he’s gay and is accepting of it. She needs someone close to her and she fell in love. He’s turned into a René type.” Yet another source said, “People are freaked out by it. He has this clique that he keeps very small. It’s Céline, himself, a hair person and the stylist. That’s the group — even management goes to him when they need something.”
But wait... is Muñoz gay? Are they really a couple? Is she in love with him?
Earlier this year, Dion opened up about the rumors surrounding Muñoz. She told The Sun:
“The press said, ‘Oh my God, Rene just passed and now there’s another man.’ Yeah, there’s another man in my life but not THE man in my life... It was probably overwhelming for him at the beginning when we started working together because we were dancing together. We bonded right away as friends, we had a good time. It evolved.
But when people started to take pictures and it was like, ‘Who’s that guy? Rene?’ Let’s not mix everything. We’re friends, we’re best friends. Of course we hug and hold hands and go out, so people see that. I mean, he’s a gentleman. He’s giving me his hand to go out.”
So, it appears that although Muñoz is Dion’s back-up dancer and creative director, he’s also not her boyfriend. Dion herself has said he is gay and being a gentleman. And when you spend so much time with someone, you’re bound to become good friends!
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.